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World of Warcraft Guide: Quick Leveling Tips (Horde)
MMORPG.com World of Warcraft Correspondent Sean Cooper writes these tips for quick leveling from a Horde perspective in Blizzard's massively popular MMO.
By Sean Cooper on October 23, 2009
Leveling in WoW remains one of the better parts of the game when compared to MMORPGs of the past; while the "grind" of gaining experience to gain the next level remains present, it's far less painful than even the early days of the game. With multiple experience buffs throughout its shelf life along with new account bound items and Recruit-a-Friend bonuses, leveling characters from 1 to 80 has never been easier.
As an alt-a-holic, I've gathered a few tips that some players may not already be aware exist. I've written this guide so that anyone who wants to level from 1-80 in the fastest manner possible can do so. With that said, this guide is NOT for new players, but rather experienced players, and for the first 25 levels is very Horde-specific. It also can become tedious, but is the fastest way to level. There's a lot of pre-mount travel involved so any mount that can move multiple characters will be handy, as will summons. Summoning stones will be useless if not of the warlock variety.
To begin, gather all of the requisite items: Bind-on-Account Gear, a Recruit-a-friend (or dual box a second account yourself), and another higher level friend who can help run you through instances. While any of these items can be disregarded, it's when they all come together that leveling becomes very quick. Other items, like enchants, PvP reward experience buffs, or seasonal experience buffs (such as the Midsummer Fire Festival Maypole buff), will help but are not always available. Also, if using the Recruit-a-friend method, a level 30 character on the main account will also net you another level 60 character when you're finished.
Once you've decided on a character and have equipped them, they'll need to reach level eight normally. This should only take a few minutes with the experience bonus; just run beginning quests until they reach the required level. Once this occurs, travel to Orgrimmar and have the higher level friend run you through Ragefire Chasm. The fastest method is to have the 80 run through the instance and gather every mob, run them to the beginning of the instance, and kill them all with area of effect spells. In practice, this works best with well-geared armor wearers (think prot paladins), but not so well with cloth wearers. If you don't care about every ounce of speed, or don't have the armor or gold to waste on repairing durability, then by running the instance normally you'll still get the experience for your alts. A note about running normally, the alts need to stay close enough to get experience, but not so close that they pull. This will be crucial to survival in the later stages of this guide.
;)
The recruit-a-friend provides a spectacular amount of experience even with an 80 in the instance, and using this method will level a character very quickly. This bonus is increased even further with BoA gear. It's not necessary for the lowbies to loot every mob, but I'd recommend at least looting the cloth, either for leveling first aid later, or for selling. The looting gives the characters being leveled something to do, and allows them to save up a nice chunk of change for spells and mounts later. As a corollary to this, I'd recommend that they have large bags to prevent too much down time.
Once the characters have reached level 10 (it shouldn't be more than a run or two), make the trip to Silverpine Forest and run Shadowfang Keep. Shadowfang is one of my favorite instances because of the décor, the tightly packed mobs, and the good loot for the level. There are a few patrols that will spawn, most notably in the room that holds two ghosts right after the courtyard and before the kitchen. The mobs will spawn after the dining room is clear, so make sure the lower level characters are close. Other than that, this instance is quick and painless. If you pull the whole instance, you can max out all five instances per hour; any more than that and you'll be locked out, so keep this in mind.
You'll begin to see why this method is tedious in SFK, as you'll be there until both characters reach level 20. In that time you'll likely see every drop, every rare mob, and learn every patrol spawn location. As a reminder to casters, some of the mobs at the top of the stairs or ramp are magic immune (to most magic anyway, some things seem to get through). At level 20, the characters are able to run all of Scarlet Monastery (yes, even the higher level Cathedral). Personally, I run each of the section once for achievements and completion, and then focus on Cathedral. Once again, the best method is to pull the whole instance, but your mileage may vary.
At level 35, you'll be moving onto the fantastic Zul'Farrak, which mercifully allows all character to use their mounts because it is an outdoor instance. You should be able to ride around and gather the mobs with your horse, but there are a few things to note: First, don't forget the boss in the cave, as he stands to drop part of the epic two-handed sword (the second half drops from the final boss after the prisoner event. This is however, completely optional). Second, the prisoner rescue event at the top of the pyramid takes a lot of time for little experience. If you are not going for the epic sword and can stand to skip the last two named bosses, I'd recommend skipping the event entirely.
Upon reaching level 40, you'll be heading to Blackrock Mountain to work your way through the gargantuan Blackrock Depths. Because of the size of the instance, you'll be unable to pull everything and should stay together as a group. Make your way through the instance doing as much or as little of the events as your group chooses. It should only take one or two full clears to reach level 45. My group has consistently noticed that the first part of the instance offers better experience than the later, but once again, your mileage may vary.
;)
You'll finish part one of your journey to 80 in Scholomance in Eastern Plaguelands. It is here that you'll level from 45-60. No special notes about this instance, only that like all of the other instances in this guide, you may come to hate this place over the course of 15 levels. As such, feel free to substitute other instances or questing into this guide. I, however, found these instances to be the fastest.
Upon reaching level 59-60, you should have your friend account grant 30 levels to your level 30 alt on your main account, which will now also be level 60. If you're doing this for yourself without a real friend, you can now transfer your friend account character and end up with 3 level 60s. Just be sure when registering the account that your friend account has the same last name, and you'll be all set for the transfer. Besides, paying for the transfer beats buying the expansions again.
At level 60, you'll lose the friend bonus, be ready for outland, and will have access to your flying mount which will make leveling a breeze, though not as easy as 8-60. If you've got the gold for the cold weather training tome and your epic flying mounts, even Northrend will seem easy. Good luck!
Have any of your own speed leveling tips? Leave them in the comments section!
Just did this myself.
Triple boxed my account, girlfriend's account (who was linked to mine via Recruit a Friend) and using my brother's account and his level 80 Rogue.
Rogue is not the best choice. Druid (feral) or Paladin would be BEST due to self healing, AoE, and armor.
Warrior would make a close second due to same reasons as Paladin/Druid, but only heal being 3 minute Enraged Regeneration, which when coupled with Last Stand will get you back to Max health in no time.
Also being Undead helps for self-healing via Canibalism..
Another thing to note, using the Hierloom gear, the chest and shoulders DO stack. So you get 20% increased experience.
Your Hierloom equiped toon WILL outlevel the non-hierloom equipped rather quickly.
Starting with a level 31 Paladin on my account, and rolling a new level 1 druid and level 1 shaman, I ended with a 58 Paladin and 55 Shaman on my account and 55 druid on my girlfriend's account.
I've sinced leveled through Outland (with mount purchased from my 80 Warrior's money) and bought Cold Weather Flying tome and am level 76 Paladin FLYING through Northrend quickly and already have dual-spec purchased and still have 2k gold towards epic flyer.
My instance order-
RFC - Ogrimmar
WC - Barrens
SFK - Silverpine
RFK - Barrens
SM - Tirisfal Glades
RFD - Barrens
ZF - Tanaris
ST - Swamp of Sorrows
BRD - Searing Gorge
LBRS/UBRS - Searing Gorge
Another thing to note:
You will NOT make tons of money from the instance runs even looting EVERY mob until higher levels, so expect to borrow tons of gold for training/mount costs until you get to Outland and start making the big bucks.
Interesting guide, well put together. I am still partial to questing though, only doing instances when a friend can run me through.
Whats the rush. I've been playing since the beginning and still haven't got a character to lvl 60. And i'm having a good time doing it.
Why don't we just get Blizzard to let us create new characters with whatever levels and equipment we want (max latest and greatest everything) and then we won't have to go thru all this bother. And your high level characters do not have to spend money TWINKING (as in the street sense) the inepts they are babysitting.
Then we can brag about how great we are - even if we don't have the slightest clue about how to play the class.
It's people like this that are such a PITA to those of us who REALLY want to play the game. They screw up the economy to where anyone trying to do it WITHOUT massive economic subsidies can hardly afford to shop the AH.
I "Thrift shop" the AH myself. I will only buy something that I can get at a REALISTIC price (seldom pay more than 1 GOLD for anything for an under 40 troop.) Many of my troops do not even have all "Greens" until they are in their mid 20s - still using "WHITES" for some items - but still being able to take out multiple "IN THEIR FACE" opponents OF THEIR OWN LEVEL - and surviving without help.
Knowing how to play the class really makes a difference. Some of these SUPER HEROES should try it sometime - they might even get to like it.
focused on horde? replace sfk with sfk/vc and now it works for both.
Remember back in the day when I rolled my second toon, a blood elf rogue in a PvP server. I dont like to roll many toons, I just have a warlock in Alliance side and the rogue in Horde side. So my warlock was a blast for leveling. Once I got the Void minion, I sent him to aggro a couple of mobs, I nuked them from a distance, by the time they came to attack me they were finished. Rinse and repeat. I really love the warlock, my first toon and a good choice, you get different type of minions as you level and each of one have special abilities. And for PvP the warlocks are really fun.
Now for my rogue, it was slower than the warlock of course, but since I never did quests for the Horde side the journey was enjoyable. Not to mention I had the rogue in a PvP server. Got ganked and I ganked. No regrets.
I never ran out of quests. When leveling my BE rogue I never did quests in the Searing Gorge area. I did some in Ungoro crater and Blasted Lands (and never did all of them), once I hit 58 moved to Outland. Also in Outland didnt have to cover all the areas of the map. So many quests that is ridiculous.
I also grouped for dungeons and spent time in battlegrounds. And also sold a lot of leather, skinning was the best gathering skill as I sold a lot in the auction house, got my mounts and then some very easily. The world is full of skinable creatures that you dont have to worry to look for them as you will get them as you do quests.
After running through the same 1-20 content at least a dozen times over the course of five years of playing this game, and spending hundreds of hours going 20-60, playing at 60, then 60-70, then playing at 70, then 70-80 and playing at 80...
Having over a hundred days play time on my main level 80...
I enjoyed leveling up 60-70 in Outland and 70-80 (now 77) in Northrend, but had no desire to do 1-60 again.
Recruit a friend + heirloom made it fast and painless so I could get to the parts of the game I really enjoy.
I can't wait till Cataclysm comes out so I can enjoy the entire 1-85 process all over again with the remade 1-60 experience.
I have been playing WOW for over three years myself and have done the lower level routine over 100 times on my alts. Being retired, I probably have as many hours/days of play time as a lot of those with the level 80 Elites on WOW. I have two accounts (nearly all classes/races/professions) and have even deleted numerous toons that did not work as I wanted them to.
I personally do not find running up a new toon all that difficult. I run EXCLUSIVELY solo - no PvP no BG no raids no duels no guilds no groups - I just fight the built-in mobs. I want to find the best way to play each class/race. For me getting a super hero troop is not important. Running up some of the professions can sometimes be a PITA though.
After the first couple of characters it becomes pretty easy to run a new troop up to whatever level. Just get all of the quests that are available at once and do them all - then get the next batch.
Many years ago - on the old Apple computers - I modified the code by "Bit- diddling" the disk (changing the machine language coding) on the disk to make me a group of "Invincable" types on the old Knight of Diamonds (5 1/2" disk) play disk. On the FIRST encounter they kicked in the FIRST door. The mob inside got initiative (first shots) and wiped out the entire "HERO" crew without them getting off one shot themselves. Quite a sobering experience - but funny as hell.
I still think my suggestion is a valid one - about Blizzard allowing a person - who wants to - to create whatever level character they want to and even let them equip them with whatever they want. Maybe they will re-create my "Knight of Diamonds" Experience. LOL
0.0 bro if you played at leat 5 hours a month you should have long hit 60
0.0 bro if you played at leat 5 hours a month you should have long hit 60
Not all of us play just to see how fast we can advance.
Since Blizzard lowered the mount requirements it made getting some pets a bit easier (Alliiance Warlock Succys for example). One of my kicks is getting Durotar Tigers (Horde) for my alliance hunters and the snow leopards (Alliance) for my horde hunters BY LEVEL 12 without endless dieing. Sure gives THOSE troops bragging rights.
Those of you who remember these quests know what I'm talking about.
I have been known to delete mid level 40s troops to make room for a brand new troop just because I had a wild idea about a new class/race/profession combination that I wanted to try.
My attitude is You play your way - I'LL play my way. As long as your way and my way do not interfere with each other we have no problem. After all NO ONE is paying my (TWO) account fees for me.